Brazilian Amazonian politics and policy (2019-2022) and the need for transformative change

Abstract

Despite its potential to transition toward a green economy, Brazil became an environmental villain in recent years. The anti-environmentalist and anti-indigenist administration of President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) partly dismantled environmental governance. The Amazon and its more-than-human populations were severely hit by Bolsonaro's predatory agenda, which supported and legitimized the interests of the anti-conservationist forces within economic sectors such as agribusiness and mining, and fueled organized crime and violence in the region. This paper provides an overview and analysis of Amazonian politics and policy during this period, and discusses the importance of, and possibilities for, a transformative approach to the governance of the region.